ESSAY Societal Influences on Health

7/28/2019 ESSAY Societal Influences on Health

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Running head: SOCIETY AND HEALTH 1

Societal Influence on Health

Jiger Shah

Cambridge Medical Institute




Abstract

Societal influence has a strong effect on an individual’s attitudes toward health and choice

of lifestyle. Three major societal influences on health are financial status of a person, the core

group of a person, and influence of media. Financial status plays an important role towards a

person’s approach to the issues related to the quality of health. The peer group of a person

reinforces positive or negative habits. Commercial outlets disseminate the useful health

information in favor of their advertisers, often misguiding the viewers.




Societal Influence on Health

First human society is divided in different socioeconomic classes and a class person

belongs, too is very important to the person’s health. Society is divided in three, rich middle and

poor class, middle class have been shrinking worldwide. A person’s financial status and gender

are important factors that dictate the quality of healthcare and healthy lifestyle. Income plays an

important role in societal factor affecting the person’s health and access to health care needs. The

second major societal factor affecting a person is the peer group; a person’s close circle of

association such as family, friends, co-workers and social life has influence on a person’s health.

The third major societal influence on health is the media. Media is explained as all the devices

used for recreation and entertainment such as radio, T.V., Movies, Internet etc.

Socioeconomic status describes a person's lifestyle related to education occupation,

income, and financial stability. It is an important factor to consider when conducting health

related studies. People from different socioeconomic classes have differing access to medical

care, healthy food, and physical activity opportunities based on their incomes. The relationship

between socioeconomic status of a person and physical health, mental health, morbidity,

disability, and rate of mortality has been well accounted for. (Ulmer, D. MD 1984) Low

economic growth is directly related to various disadvantages to a person’s health some of which

are poor physical health unstable mental health, poor quality of food consumption, substance

abuse, feeling of low self-esteem, stress and limited or no access to health care services. (Kern,

R. 2001, p. 8) Financial stress or burden along with poor education can produce careless

behavior towards health. Scientific research in the field of human health provides ample

reasoning for choosing a healthy lifestyle. Financial stability plays a major role when it comes to

choosing a healthy lifestyle. Higher socioeconomic classes’ have access to a better level of




health promoting longevity. This is the result of higher levels of education and health care that is

accessed by this class. Socially this class structure is also more involved in health care from

infancy. They want the best for their children as they can afford it. A lower class of people also

wants the best for their kids but cannot afford it or do not have access to it. (Ulmer, D. MD 1984)

Gender and demographics are co-related to the health of the person. The masculine and

feminine habits have their effects on the person’s health. Men engage in unhealthy lifestyles and

adopt fewer health-promoting beliefs and behaviors. Men engage in riskier behavior, tend to

ignore health warnings and minor pains and aches. The list of health related conditions affecting

men is longer than women. The longevity for men is lower than in women by four to six years.

Women eat healthy foods often follow dietary advice, continuously watch the body and follow

health advice. They tend to avoid risky lifestyle and habits. Substance abuse is much lower

among women compared to men. In the U.S., life expectancy for women is 79 years and a man is

72 years. Women are more at risk of developing mental health issues like anxiety and

depression. Inequity in health is characterized by the lack of remediable demographic factors.

Differences in the health between groups of people are significant geographically, or

demographically. (2012. Retrieved from web site: http://www.census.gov/prod/1/pop/p23-

190/p23190-g.pdf)

Personal group such as family, friends, co-workers, and other social influences have an

influence on a person’s health. Family and the line of inherited genes are a major factor to health

and future sicknesses. The habits of substance abuse are related to genes. On the other side,

fitness and good habits are inherited in the genes. A person learns the importance of eating

healthy food from the family that eats healthy and avoids fast foods and junk foods. Different

http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/datawh/statab/pubd/453st5h.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/datawh/statab/pubd/453st5h.htm




cultures view body types and images in different ways, for instance weight gain is a positive

thing in cultures where food is scarce and some countries and societies weight gain and obesity

are seen as something that is undesirable, and threat to the health of an individual. Friends, co-

workers and other social groups have an influence on the types of food a person consumes.

Eating junk food and fast foods are considered a status symbol is some societies, but can be

detrimental to the health of the individual. Diseases that are prevalent in our society are

nonexistent in certain remote tribes who live an organic lifestyle. Race in United States plays an

important role in all the factors such as education, foods, nutrition, fitness, and health care. The

place where a person works impacts factors related to health. The place where a person works,

the stress level at work, shift and hours, position and responsibility are some of the factors to

consider. Job at a fast food restaurant can lead to unhealthy eating habits whereas job in the

office can increase stress with very low physical activity. Having a job is better for health then

being unemployed. The social structure of work, managements and social relationships in the

workplace can influence the health. The health also suffers from unprecedented problems, when

people have no opportunity to use their skills, stressful environment, marginal authority and lack

of advancing opportunities. (Garimella, S. 2010, p. 18)

Media is a big player in our health in the modern society. The average person spends 6 to 8

hours interacting with different media outlets. Media continuously covers the advertisement

related to fast food, restaurants, junk foods, and new medicines available. It also indiscriminately

promotes harmful substances like cigarettes and alcohol. Media does have useful information

related to health in some talk shows and informs the people about new breakthrough in medical

fields, but in general, the commercials strive in promoting junk foods and other unhealthy habits.

Much of the general public is interested about knowing and learning about health related subjects




and well-being. Topics such as obesity, weight loss, diets, sugar free and new weight loss break

throughs are at the top of the listing and are marketed all over to meet the consumer demand and

curiosity. Flat muscular ABS and belly are flashed in every possible commercial related to

health, are held at the highest esteem foe self-image. This fad has affected image conscious

teenage girls, developing the unnecessary dieting habits which produces a vicious cycle of

malnutrition, and among men it has resulted in countless hours spent in gyms crunching the

ABS. Medical procedures marketing artificial implant all over the body, Botox for wrinkles and

products that defy the aging process has reached new extremes in women, while men have turned

to more extreme measures as synthetic steroids and artificial growth hormone to bulk up their

muscular size. These product and their marketing strategy by the media decides the trends while

exploiting the deepest fear of mankind about getting sick being old, weak, disability and death.

(Bandura, A. n.d.). Carefully orchestrated media campaign, can successfully target the general

population to create a new fad and create a new demand for the product, market it and generate

the profit. The after effect on society is ignored. The well-planned and executed media

campaigns can alter personal habits and yield favorable results for the society. Media does hold

the power to manipulate the thought patterns and impact the health of a person. (Ulmer, D. 1984)

The major factors that have an impact on the society are socioeconomic, peer group, and

media. These factors have a constant influence on a person who lives a social life. At any given

time when a person makes the decisions related to health all the three factors have to be

considered. These factors are part of human society in the modern world and we cannot separate

our self from it. Choosing what is best for the health, to stay healthy and to live a productive life

is very important. A person needs to choose a peer group that promotes healthy habits; make

informed decisions while avoiding media pitfalls.




References

Bandura, A. (N.d.). University of Kentucky. Retrieved from

http://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Bandura/BanGrowingPri.pdf

Garimella, S. (2010). Retrieved from web site:

http://www.who.int/globalchange/GenderClimateChangeHealthfinal.pdf

How Do Social Factors influence Health, Learn through online home study courses. (N.d.). ACS

Distance Education: Correspondence Courses in Horticulture, Psychology, Business, IT,

Agriculture and more. Retrieved from http://www.acs.edu.au/info/natural-

health/mental/social-influences.aspx

Social Influences and Health Behaviors Lab. (N.d.). University of Houston. Retrieved from

http://www.uh.edu/class/psychology/social-psych/research/social-influences/index.php

Societal Influences on Health and Life-styles. (1984, December). National Center for

Biotechnology Information. Retrieved December 2012, from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1011213/?page=1

ESSAY Societal Influences on Health

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